“When we looked at our attendance, 10 percent ... came on a Sunday. If we could eliminate one of the days, it was Sunday. Parking revenue wasn’t covering expenses,” Pearce said.
Some vendors complained it was “a waste of time” to be there Sunday, because so few people showed up, he added.
“We wanted to eliminate costs to better position ourselves for the long term,” Pearce said.
The festival also trimmed its hours Saturday, starting at 4 p.m. this year instead of around noon. Again, this was because more people tended to show up later in the day.
“People don’t come early on Saturday because the balloons don’t fly until the evening. People that follow the balloons are really smart,” Pearce said.
Organizers tried to boost Sunday by having a car show that day, but even that didn’t take.
“At least in my house, Sunday is family time and time to get ready for Monday morning,” Pearce said.
Ann Mort, who has handled marketing for the event all seven of its years, said, “We need to run it as a business. That’s the difference between our event and others who don’t have as long as a life span.”
Mort and Pearce said the goal of the Ohio Challenge has been not to make a profit but to break even, and the event has done that every year.
“We have enough in reserves to cover us if we have bad weather,” Mort said.
Also helping matters is the fact that sponsors have stayed loyal, even in the weak economy.
“We have been affected very little by the weak economy. Sponsorship is basically on par. Companies in and around the Middletown area have been very generous in their support of the event,” Pearce said.
Another factor that plays into the longevity of the Ohio Challenge is organizers’ addition of something different every year, such as a new specially shaped balloon.
“As long as people come and attend the event, we’ll figure out a way to have it,” Pearce said.
Last year’s Ohio Challenge drew 59,097 people to Smith Park, down from 2008’s record high of 73,800. Organizers said particularly hot weather last year discouraged attendance.
Contact this reporter at (513) 705-2836 or erobinette@coxohio.com.
About the Author